Black Copper Equestrian

07/13/2025

This is not necessarily horse related but….
As some of you know, and I’m sure many do not, I run Black Copper Equestrian while on my days off, it is not my full time job.
I have been working as a Paramedic for 22 years (I have to pay for my 2 free loaders somehow 😂). Spending my days off with my horses, and helping my clients horses feel there best, is honestly the best way a girl could ask for.
EMS work is extremely demanding physically and mentally, horses have been a huge part of my mental health.
Yesterday, we had the opportunity to stop and support a co-workers daughter with her lemonade stand. Not only was it a delicious lemonade on a crazy hot day BUT she was also raising funds for our local humane society 🥰

Always happy to support budding entrepreneurs and a good cause like the Kingston Humane Society, Frontenac Paramedics enjoy Iris' delicious and refreshing lemonade between calls yesterday afternoon.

It's warming-up out there. Stay hydrated everyone! Learn more about staying happy and healthy in extreme temperatures from KFL&A Public Health -> https://www.kflaph.ca/en/health-topics/extreme-temperatures.aspx

07/11/2025

Very fitting that my 2 long standing bodywork clients got to enjoy the benefits of my new Goldride pad today. This pad is amazing! The benefits of the different settings are invaluable and I think will work hand in hand with the goals of bodywork.
(I did use it on a 3rd horse, but completely forgot to get a picture 🤦‍♀️)

07/06/2025

Don’t forget that your Equicoat from Hoof Doctor x Equine One is just as important during summer month as it is in the winter for coat health. During winter horses wear blankets… but summer, a lot wear fly sheets and tend to get sweaty. Equicoat has carefully selected minerals to help with coat health. This helps with absorbing excess oils and moisture which will help prevent itching.. all very important things during the hot summer months. Don’t forget to use code BLACKCOPPEREQUESTRIA for your 10% discount

07/04/2025

This is the pad I just purchased to add for my bodywork clients. I’ve been using it non stop since I got it last week. Darcy has been getting treatments before and after every ride (not a spoiled horse whatsoever 😆) AND I’ve been using it on myself almost everyday. I have significant back issues, and I’ve been using it on my back while having my morning coffee. I can definitely say I feel a significant difference afterwards. This pad as been one of the best investments to date 😁
AND…Not to mention, it’s a Canadian company 🇨🇦!
If you have any questions, visit the Goldride website or message me anytime!

06/28/2025

I am so excited to add a new therapy pad to my bodywork sessions. This pad has different wavelengths, 940nm(infrared)-660nm(red light)-430nm(blue light). My sponsor, Goldride produces incredible products not only for our horses, but can be used on humans and dogs too.
This new product will help my clients with proven benefits such as, increase circulation, reduce inflammation, stimulate cellular regeneration.
This can help in many ways with, accelerating healing, joint support and recovery and repair just to name a few.
Not only a fantastic product, but a Canadian company🇨🇦!
Stay tuned to see this product in action 👏

06/25/2025

A huge Congratulations to one of my bodywork clients! They were super successful in the L’International d’Attelage de Bromont recently. To be a small part of this successful team, while they’re in Canada, means a lot. Red is also the cutest little pony around, she’s gorgeous ☺️
This part of equestrian sport is not well known in Canada, and I’ve learned so much about it during my session. I hope to get out one day to go watch an event… Almost the cart version of eventing, so cool!
Congratulations again!

06/23/2025

When it’s hotter than the sun ☀️ and you can’t ride… You use your new stability pads, Darcy’s non-backed muscle building tools….and the perfect thing to do on a hot hot 🥵 couple of days. After 10 mins on back feet and 10 mins on the fronts, he had a full back rounding stretch accompanied by a big grunt 😆All while getting his monthly bodywork session…

06/23/2025

We went from a very wet spring to now the complete opposite 🤦‍♀️ Remember that we need to make sure our horses hooves stay healthy in all weather. To help prevent crack in dry weather applying Hoof Doctor x Equine One Hoof Shine can help. It provides hydration with its blend of fish oil, vegetable oil, castor oil, birch bark extract to make a few… Bonus, it has an incredible citrus smell ❤️
Don’t forget to use discount code BLACKCOPPEREQUESTRIA for your 10% off! Support Canadian Companies!

06/22/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫

1- I never lunge with a bridle…. Why?

✔️No matter how good your horse is, the bit will have extra lateral tension, bits are not meant to have lateral tension or movement
✔️If for some reason the horse gets “extra” and pulls the lunge or steps on it, severe damage to the oral cavity can occur
✔️I personally always use a breakaway halter for this, again in case the horse steps on the lunge

2- I always keep the bridle path clipped/cut…. Why?

✔️ When a bridle is applied, “spikey” hair or a bulk of hair can add extra pressure under the crown piece onto the pole…. Also applies to having a halter on
✔️Make sure your area is clipped/cut to at least slightly longer area than your crown piece

3- Work on different terrain… Why?

✔️ If your horse isn’t good to hack under saddle, hand hack (which I do with Darcy)
✔️Different terrain is proven to be beneficial to joints and bone health (especially in young growing horses)
✔️ Works different muscles, even if only at a walk
✔️Low impact exercise and change of scenery

4- Incorporate lower impact exercises…. Why?

✔️ Poles and cavalettis are a lower impact exercises to make the horse bend joints more to help with mobility
✔️ Helps the horse develop coordination (ok, some are a loss cause 😂 but worth trying anyways)
✔️ Can help develop core muscles that are crucial to help protect/support our horse’s backs

5- Change up to workout… Why?

✔️ If you always do flat work and same exercises, you are always working the same muscles
✔️ Different disciplines can help each other, just because you’re a dressage rider, you don’t need to jump 3 or 4 feet to have benefits… Vis versa, jumper horses can benefit from flat work to develop different muscles
✔️ Changes the challenge for your horse, makes them think differently (ie. looking for distance and different balance required)

6- At minimum a 10 mins walk warm-up…. Why?

✔️ Muscles need time to warm up, especially if the horse has been stalled for any amount of time
✔️ Motion is lotion, joints need time to move in order to get the synovial fluid (the fluid in all joints) moving to lubricate the joints
✔️ The colder the weather, the longer the walk warm-up should be. In winter, I hand walk 10 mins, then get on and walk for another 10 mins
✔️This has also been extensively studied, I’m not making it up
✔️The older the horse, the longer the warm-up needs to be (think of you getting out of bed at 16 vs 46…. Believe me, you don’t move as well and as quickly 🙄)

7- At minimum a 10 mins cool down…. Why?

✔️ Just like humans, if you work hard and don’t cool down, your muscles are more likely to develop lactic acid and cause muscles soreness
✔️ Keep in mind the intensity of the work you did… Adjust accordingly. If I w/t for 20 mins vs went cross country with your horse, the cool down will be significantly different
✔️Keep temperature in mind, hot months require possibly longer cool down vs winter months. Either way cool down is required!
✔️Make sure your horse’s respiration rate is back to normal before going back in the barn
✔️ Cool down can be partially backed or fully backed, or partially in hand or fully in hand. The goal is a proper cool down

Not everyone will agree with these reasons but with my education as bit and bridle fitter, as well as a bodyworker, these are reasons I do the things I do… Wether professional or adult amateur… it all applies!

06/18/2025

Post ODF we have been hard at work. Baby steps, but some great improvements. Still some tension, especially in the canter, but it’s getting there. For a “smaller” horse (I call him my pocket rocket), he is a surprisingly big expressive mover, which I’m learning to ride and trust.
Yesterday was our Equicore Concepts LLC training day… Making him work that b***y 🙈

06/01/2025

Ottawa Dressage Festival 2025 is done ✔️ It was sun, rain, wind and cold but we survived. I was beyond proud on how Darcy handled the whole atmosphere! The scores were definitely not what I had hoped (I think our rides were better than the scores reflected). We definitely know our weak spots, and will work damn hard this summer to fix them. I can’t thank my coach, Duncan, enough for everything this weekend. Your support and advice means the world to me. To my incredible parents for stepping in as grooms in Dave’s absence. You were troopers dealing with some awful cold weather. To my amazing husband, who couldn’t be there, for all the txt’s of support and calls with pep talks when I felt defeated. It truly takes a village!
I must also thank Hoof Doctor x Equine One for keeping Darcy’s hooves in tiptop shape to compete and to Goldride for helping keep Darcy’s body feeling great!